Thursday, October 04, 2007 Ledesma: The forgotten bridge By Jun Ledesma Sunbursts
NOW we know why Davao City's collapsed Governor Generoso Bridge is not worth worrying about by Malacañang. You think it's the Palace way of avenging the ignominy of defeat that the administration senatorial candidates were dealt with in the last election.
Can't blame Dabawenyos if they have that frame of mind. But Malacañang should not flagellate us for that. Someone, who the Palace trusted, was busy with something else I heard that the funds intended for the campaign of the Senate slate was spent elsewhere.
Mayor Duterte had to use the Hugpong campaign kitty to run a campaign blitz for the administration bets but I personally think that it was too late. But then without Duterte's last-ditch efforts and wherever Hugpong funds can stretch, the admin slate could have performed even worse.
But that's water under the bridge. In the meantime the collapsed Bankerohan Bridge is literally underwater and by the looks of it Malacañang and the Department of Public Works and Highways had forgotten it ever existed.
It is however incredulous that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will ignore this small favor that our city mayor had been begging her. I really do not buy the crap that she is venting her ire on us Dabawenyos for preferring mediocre and garrulous Senate bets of the opposition to the equally lightweight senatorial bets of the administration.
I think that the more plausible reason why DPWH and Malacañang ignore our small bridge is that originally they planned to replace the collapsed span with a steel bridge from the "Tulay ng Pangulo" program. This should have been undertaken by the DPWH personnel and therefore would practically cost nothing.
Realizing that nothing can be derived in terms of "commission" from the DPWH-undertaken program, they changed the program of work and replaced the plan with a cement bridge. In a classic tomfoolery they told us that a cement bridge will be a lot better, look better, and will last longer than the steel bridge.
Actually the real reason is that a cement bridge will be a lot better for the pocket of you know who and the take of the scoundrels can give them the Roman holiday no sweat.
"Pagmalaki ang halaga ng kontrata, mas malaki ang kinikita ng kontratista, mas malaki ang commission ng mga walanghiya." I am sure that our Mayor can do more colorful expletives on this one.
In short, the cost of our bridge is too small to the point that the corrupt bureaucracy ignores it. The DOTC and DepEd CyberEd broadband projects cost billions of pesos that these enjoy high priority than our insignificant bridge, classrooms, teachers and textbooks.
If the proposed multi-billion peso budget for the redundant broadband network being surreptitiously crafted by the evil empire is to be used to build more irrigation dams, farm to market roads, silos, school classrooms, hire more teachers and buy more textbooks for our school children in the barrios then that much ballyhooed economic gains from EVAT and Finance reforms will find meaning and significance to the masses.
Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago hits the nail right on the head when she blurted out in fury that what the whistle blowers and the characters who are being accused have only the prospects of large "kickbacks" that preoccupy their minds.
Lady Miriam should be better appreciated for this than her undiplomatic slip, which, by the way, is not really far from the truth. China, under its present leadership, has been hanging people in high places for dipping their hands in the cookie jar. We should do the same thing here.
BTW, those rowdy Koreans should be prevented from ruling over us. The city authorities must not only deport rowdy and illegal Korean entrants here but go further by rectifying what seems to be a direct affront to City Hall. Take that casino at Apo View Hotel. It's operating like it is an extension of the Korean Embassy. Pinoys are not allowed inside. PAGCOR, which farmed out this franchise to foreign nationals, may have its own reason for being but it should not/never be allowed to exact its own rules and regulations in Davao City.
I have some fond memories with Korean friends way back at Namhae but what we have around us are the rowdy types. They forgot that we fought hard for them during the Korean wars. What we got in return are dubious characters.
Even their products are of doubtful quality. Like I bought a two-door Samsung ref from RJ Homes. The light conked out. I thought that Samsung is a well-established firm. To my surprise, its service center in Davao City does not even have a stock of light bulbs for its expensive ref. I was told by the clerk that they will still check with their Manila office if they have the spare bulb. But then she said that they cannot get in touch with Manila yet because their Internet connection is down. And I thought that Manila is reachable by telephone or cellphone.
Well, RJ Homes is an excellent appliance store but they better demand from Samsung to improve on its service.
